Box car end wall



F. TAYLOR BOX CAR END WALL May 14, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1966 INVENTOR FRANK TAyLoR 1 61 A TTORNEyS y 8 F. TAYLOR 3,382,817

BOX CAR END WALL Filed Feb. 7, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fk/INK 77a yLoR Arromvays United States Patent 3,382,817 BOX CAR END WALL Frank Taylor, 273 Eleanor Ave, Otterburn Heights, Quebec, Canada Filed Feb. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 540,426 6 Claims. (Cl. 105-410) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An end wall for box cars made up of a series of sections disposed horizontally in interlocking engagement with each other for the height of the car, and vertically disposed end members closing off the ends of the horizontally disposed members.

This invention relates to end walls for box cars and particularly to end wall formed of a series of interlocking rolled sections.

It has been the practice to form the end walls of box ears in two sections a lower section and an upper section, each section being formed from a large sheet of steel plate pressed in a die to produce a series of horizontally disposed corrugations having a deep section at the central vertical centreline and tapering off to a relatively small section at the sides. This form of end wall has limited strength due to the limitation of sheet thickness which would stand up to the die forming operation without fracture of the metal at the corrugations. This, in turn, sets a limit to the end thrust that the end wall would withstand before taking a permanent bow due to repeated end loading by the car contents onshunting, etc. which end loading was also the cause of damage to the car contents once the end walls took on a permanent how.

The present invention consists essentially in building up the end walls of a box car of a series of rolled interlocking sections disposed horizontally. All of the sections forming the main portion of the end walls are of uniform rolled shape throughout their full length and are spot welded at their points of interlock with each other. Top and bottom horizontal sections are rolled to a shape which will interlock with adjacent sections of the main portion of the end walls and have, respectively extension portions for attachment to adjacent portions of the roof and floor of the car. These top and bottom sections are also spot welded to the adjacent sections of the main portion of the end walls. A pair of vertically disposed end plates have one edge out out to correspond to the shape of the inward facing surface of the end walls and are disposed at right angles thereto and con tinuously welded to the vertical edges of the end walls for attachment to the side walls of the car. The rolled sections of the end walls form a series of vertically disposed recesses into which furring strips are secured.

The object of the invention is to provide an end wall for box cars made up of a series of interlocking rolled sections disposed horizontally.

A further object of the invention is to provide a series of uniform rolled sections alternately reversed in the horizontal plane and welded to each other at their mating surf-aces to form a rigid end wall for box cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide an end wall for box cars formed of rolled sections, having approximately double the strength of die pressed end walls with a minimum increase in weights.

A further object of the invention is to provide an end wall for box cars formed of a series of rolled sections, each of which can readily be replaced when damaged.

A further object of the invention is to provide an end wall for box cars having uniformly distributed strength and greater resistance to localized loads.

A further object of the invention is to provide an end wall for box cars having a large area of flat surfaces in a single vertical plane to which furring strips of uniform thickness can be secured, thus providing greatly increased support for inner linings.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an outside vertical elevation of a box car end wall according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of 'the box car end wall, taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial vertical elevation of the lower end of the end wall shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pair of adjacent rolled sections forming the end wall of the box car, disposed one above the other, ready for mating and welding.

Referring to the darwings, the box car end wall 5 according to the present invention is formed of a series of intermediate, horizontally disposed rolled sections 6, a top section 7 and a bottom section 8.

The intermediate sections 6 are all of uniform rolled section and are cut to length to suit the width of the box car end wall.

As will be seen particularly in FIG. 6, each section is of generally S-shape consisting of a pair of horizontally spaced apart members 9 and 10, a short vertically disposed flange member 11 projecting downwardly from one edge of the top member 9 and a short, vertically disposed flange member 12 projecting downwardly from the edge of the bottom member 10 in a plane parallel to and spaced apart from the plane of the member 11. A web member joins the top and bottom members 9 and 10 the said web comprising vertical member 13 projects downwardly from the member 9 in the same plane as the member 12, and a vertical member 14 projects upwards from the member 10 in the same plane as the mem ber 11. The lower horizontal edge 15 of the member 13 is joined to the upper horizontal edge 16 of the member 14 by the angled member 17.

The intermediate rolled sections 6 are set horizontally, one above the other, with alternate sections being reversed in. a horizontal plane so that the members 10 and 12 of the next above section 6a fit over the members 9 and 11 of the section 6b immediately below.

It will be noted that the horizontal dimension of the members 9 projected from the member 13 is less than the horizontal dimension of the member 10 projected from the member 14, thereby permitting the members 10 and 12 of section 6a to fit over the members 9 and 11 of section 6b while maintaining the vertically disposed members 13 and 14 of the individual sections in common vertical planes.

After the sections 6 are laid, one on top of the other in their alternately reversed positions, the mating surfaces 9 and 10 are spot welded together at 18.

The top section 7 of the end wall 5 has its lower horizontal portion rolled similar to the shape of the lower horizontal half of the intermediate sections 6, and consists of the members 10a, 12a, 14a and 17a. The upper half of the section 7 is a vertically disposed plate 19 in the plane of the member 1212. The top horizontal edge 20 of the plate 19 is shaped to hi; the angled shape of the root of the box car.

The bottom section of the end wall 5 has its upper horizontal portion rolled similar to the shape of the upper horizontal half of the intermediate sections 6 and consists of the members 9a, 11a, 13a and 17b. The bottom horizontal edge portion 21 is shaped to fit against the transverse end of the floor frame of the box car.

Vertically disposed end plates 22 each have one of their vertical edges cut to fit into the horizontal recesses 23 on the inner facing side of the end wall 5.

The top member 7, bottom member 8 and end plates 22 are drilled at 24 for rivetting the adjacent portions of the car structure.

The inward facing recesses 23a are fitted with furring strips 25 which are of uniform thickness and provide a large support area in the plane of the inward facing surfaces of the members 13, 14, and 12 to which the inner lining of the car can be secured.

It will be noted in FIGS. 2 and 5 that all of the load taking surfaces are supported by double thickness of steel i.e. the horizontally disposed mating surfaces 9 and 10, and by the vertically disposed surfaces 11 and 12, thereby providing a greater resistance to localized loads both from inside and outside of the car.

Due to the fact that at least the intermediate sections 6 are cut from uniformly rolled lengths of steel, the sections are relatively light in weight and can be assembled with ease in a jig and it is only when the top and bottom sections 7 and 8 are assembled with the intermediate sections, that a complete end wall has to be handled. Thus, the stamping dies normally required when an end wall is made from a single sheet of steel can be eliminated together with the equipment for handling the large sheet and the manpower associated with such equipment.

Should one or more of the sections 6, 7 and 8 become damaged, the damaged sections can be quickly cut out and be replaced by comparable new sections at a fraction of the cost of replacing a complete new end wall of the unitary type.

What I claim is:

1. Anend wall for box cars com-prising a series of sections, the said sections being disposed horizontally in interlocking engagement with each other for the height of the end wall, the said sections each having top and bottom members disposed in a horizontal plane, a shallow flange member projecting downwards from one edge of said top and bottom members in spaced apart vertical planes, and a web member joining the edges of the said top and bottom members opposite from said flange members, the said web member having vertically disposed portions located substantially in the vertical plane of the said flange members and in face to face interlocking engagement with the downwardly projecting flange members of adjacent sections.

2. An end wall for box cars as set forth in claim 1 in which the said sections are alternated, reversed in a horizontal plane.

3. An end wall for box cars as set forth in claim 1 in which the said sections are welded to each other to form a unitary end wall.

4. An end wall for box cars as set forth in claim 1 in which the said web member and the bottom horizontally disposed member of each section forms a recess alternatcly facing inwardly and outwardly of the end wall, the inwardly facing recesses forming a seat for furring strips.

5. An end wall for box cars as set forth in claim 1 in which a pair of vertically disposed end plates have one edge cut to fit the surfaces of the said sections on the inward facing side of the end wall, the said end plates being disposed at right angles to the said end wall and closing the open ends of the sections.

6. An end wall for box cars as set forth in claim 1 in which a lowermost section of the end wall has a dependent member for engagement with the floor of a box car, and the uppermost section of the end wall having an upwardly extending member for engagement with the roof of a box car.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,374,421 4/1921 Bonsall l054l0 1,640,912 8/1927 Thompson l05-410 1,650,678 11/1927 Wilson --410 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Examiner. 

